🥕 Sweet Corn
Zea mays
vegetables grain (grown as vegetable)
☀️ Sun
Full sun (8+ hours ideally); corn is one of the most sun-demanding crops — shade drastically reduces yield
💧 Water
High; 1–1.5 inches per week; critical during tasseling and ear fill; inconsistent water during ear fill causes poorly filled ears
🗺️ Zones
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
🪴 Soil Type
Rich, well-drained loam; corn is the heaviest feeder of common garden vegetables — needs high nitrogen throughout growing season
🧪 Soil pH
5.8–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
💧 Drainage
Well-drained essential; does NOT tolerate waterlogged soil
📏 Spacing
Seeds 8–12 inches apart in rows 30–36 inches apart; plant in blocks (at least 4 rows) rather than single long rows for wind pollination
📅 Days to Maturity
60-100 days (from seed); early varieties 60-70, mid 70-85, late 85-100 days
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Kernels (fresh🍽️ dried🍽️ ground)"🍽️ "Silk (medicinal tea)"🍽️ "Young ears (baby corn)"🍽️ "Stalks (fodder/compost)"]
🤝 Companions (8)
🤝 Bean (pole)
Three Sisters — beans climb corn stalks (living trellis) and fix nitrogen that corn heavily consumes; mutualistic: corn supports beans, beans feed corn
🤝 Squash/Pumpkin
Three Sisters — squash shades soil, suppresses weeds, conserves moisture, and its prickly vines deter raccoons and deer from eating corn
Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects; provides windbreak; some say sunflowers improve corn yield (conflicting: some report allelopathy)
Attracts parasitic wasps that control corn earworm and armyworms
Trap crop for aphids; repels corn pests
Living mulch between rows; fixes nitrogen; suppresses weeds
🤝 Cucumber (on edge)
Corn provides wind protection and partial shade in hot climates
Peas fix nitrogen at corn roots, benefiting corn growth; peas are cool-season and finish before corn needs full sun and space. Listed by WVU Extension as a corn companion and part of the extended Three Sisters family.
⚠️ Keep Apart (3)
💊 Medicinal Uses
["Corn silk tea: traditional diuretic and treatment for urinary tract infections and kidney stones", "High in lutein and zeaxanthin \u2014 carotenoids protective against macular degeneration", "Good source of thiamine (B1), folate, and fiber", "Gluten-free grain; useful for celiac disease"]
📝 Notes
Corn is wind-pollinated — ALWAYS plant in blocks of at least 4×4 (minimum 16 plants) for adequate pollination, never single rows. Each silk strand corresponds to one kernel. Cross-pollination between varieties affects this year's kernel genetics — isolate sweet, popcorn, and field corn by 250+ ft or 14+ days maturity difference. Side-dress with nitrogen when plants are knee-high. Raccoons are a major pest — harvest promptly or use electric fencing.